Compressed high density fibrous polymers suitable for implant
AssigneeKensey Nash BVF Technology, LLC
InventorsTimothy A. Ringeisen, W. Christian Wattengel
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Abstract
An embodiment of the present invention may be made by the following steps: providing a mixture comprising a plurality of fibers, a lubricant, and a suspension fluid, with the suspension fluid filling a void space between said fibers and subjecting said mixture to at least one compressive force. The compressive force causes the migration and alignment of said fibers; and may remove substantially all of the suspension fluid from said mixture. The mixture may further comprise a biologically active agent, or a reinforcing agent.
Claims57
An implantable device comprising (i) a carrier solvent:
- (ii) a lubricant comprising collagen dissolved in said carrier solvent, and (iii) a structure comprising polymer fibers that are at least partially aligned, wherein said alignment of said fibers expresses itself as an architecture comprising a plurality of plates, each of said plates comprising aligned polymer fibers, said plates defining at least one space therebetween comprising fluid planes, said fluid planes existing as multiple fissures located randomly within the structure, further wherein said architecture is present throughout said structure, and further wherein said implantable device is arranged to be surgically implanted into a body of a living being, said device produced by a process comprising:
- a) providing a mixture, said mixture comprising a plurality of fibers, said lubricant, and a suspension fluid, said suspension fluid filling a void space between said fibers;
- b) subjecting said mixture to at least one compressive force of a magnitude of at least 0.2 ton per square inch and not more than 100 tons per square inch, said compressive force causing the migration and at least partial alignment of said fibers as said suspension fluid moves outward from a direction of said compression;
- and
- c) removing at least a portion of said suspension fluid from said mixture.
The implantable device of claim wherein said device has an isotropic structure in two dimensions.
An implantable device comprising (i) a lubricant comprising dissolved collagen and (ii) polymer fibers originally having void spaces therebetween, wherein said fibers have been compressed in at least one direction while in contact with a fluid comprising said lubricant, said lubricant serving to reduce said void space by enabling migration of said polymer fibers through said fluid as said fluid is expelled in a direction radial to said direction of compression, said lubricant furthermore enabling alignment of said polymer fibers, said alignment being expressed as an architecture comprising a plurality of plates comprising aligned fibers, and wherein said plates define at least one space therebetween comprising fluid planes, said fluid planes existing as multiple fissures located randomly within said architecture, and further wherein said polymer fibers on a periphery of said implantable device are at least partially cross-linked, and further wherein polymer fibers located away from said periphery are not cross-linked, and further wherein said implantable device is suitable for implantation into a body of a living being.
An implantable device comprising (i) a lubricant comprising dissolved collagen and (ii) multiple layers of non-cross-linked polymer fibers produced by a process comprising:
- (a) providing a mixture of polymer fibers, said lubricant and at least one liquid, said mixture defining void spaces between said polymer fibers and liquid;
- and
- (b) compressing said mixture along at least one axis, thereby reducing an amount of said void space and facilitating migration and alignment of said polymer fibers to form fibrous plates as said fluid is expelled lateral to said axis of compressing, wherein upon compression said fibrous plates create a layered structure, wherein said layering occurs at a microscopic as well as at a macroscopic level.
A compressed fibrous matrix wherein said matrix comprises (i) a carrier solvent:
- (ii) a lubricant comprising collagen dissolved in said carrier solvent, and (iii) multiple plates of oriented fibers, said multiple plates being present throughout said matrix and existing both at a microscopic as well as a macroscopic level, and further said plates being locked in a compact anisotropic structure, and still further wherein the orientation of fibers within each plate is independent of the orientation of fibers within adjacent plates, with said plates being formed by applying a unidirectional compressive force of between 0.2 and 100 tons per square inch to a fibrous dough comprising said fibers, said lubricant and a suspending fluid, said fibers being distributed in said suspending fluid, the compressive force causing said fibers to align as fluid flows away from said direction of said compressive force.
An implantable device comprising (i) a lubricant comprising dissolved collagen and (ii) a structure comprising polymer fibers that are at least partially aligned and not cross-linked, wherein said alignment of said fibers expresses itself as an architecture comprising a plurality of plates, each of said plates comprising aligned polymer fibers, said plates defining at least one space therebetween comprising fluid planes, said fluid planes existing as multiple fissures located randomly within the structure, and further wherein said implantable device is arranged to be surgically implanted into a body of a living being.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.